The Optimization and Evaluation of the Extremism and Intolerance Curriculum for the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, GREENSBORO · Oct 8, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study in Bahrain is testing two school programs meant to reduce extremism and promote tolerance: Peaceful Coexistence for middle school students and Anti-extremism for high school students. In this randomized trial, classrooms are assigned by chance to either receive the curriculum or not, and researchers will look at changes in attitudes and skills related to intolerance, open-mindedness, empathy, and how students handle opinions different from their own. The project uses a special method to try to make the curriculum as effective as possible. About 1,500 students are being enrolled, and the study started in 2021 with completion hoped for in late 2025. Results are not yet available.

Eligible participants are Bahraini public or private middle and high school students aged roughly 11 to 18 who are healthy. The study also includes parents and D.A.R.E. officers to help improve the programs. If your classroom is in the intervention group, students will participate in the Peaceful Coexistence or Anti-extremism curriculum during sessions; those in the comparison group will receive general information. After the sessions, students will complete short surveys to measure things like norms about tolerance, dignity, beliefs about consequences of intolerance, source literacy, empathy, and decision-making, among other skills. There are no listed exclusion criteria beyond the age/school requirements.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Public or private Bahraini middle or high school students.
• • In addition to the main evaluation questions, the following groups will also be included to make programmatic improvements.
• • Parents of above mentioned middle or high school students.
• • D.A.R.E. Officers teaching middle school and high school D.A.R.E. in Bahrain.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • None